The Heir of a Thousand Lifetimes (A PJO Universe Story)

Do we have a deal?

The quest hasn't even begun, and I'm already starting to see through the illusions. Maybe that's why Apollo made me a seer. Not so much to see visions, even though that happens, but to see the strings of fate.

Wouldn't that be nice, if it were true?

"You're figuring it out."

At the sound of his voice, I grimace and nervously run my thumb over the face of my ring.

"Go away," I say coldly, uninterested in speaking with him.

"No," Apollo says stubbornly, marching over to my side and sitting down. I can feel Achilles start to get ticked. "Like it or not, I did choose you to be a seer."

"Not."

"What?"

"You said 'like it or not.' I choose 'not.'"

He sighs dramatically. "You're going to have to at least learn to be civil. We can be bitter co-workers if that's what you want."

I roll my eyes. "I want nothing to do with you, ever. I didn't ask for you to be part of this prophecy, and I certainly didn't ask to be a seer. My life would be significantly better if I wasn't one, actually."

Apollo shrugs and pushes back his hair. He leans back on the pier. "Yes, well, there's nothing I can do about that, I'm afraid."

"I know." I glance at him. "Why did you come out here?"

"You looked like you were in a trance. I assumed you were having a vision, and I was curious what it was about," he says honestly, rocking back and forth on his feet. He looks at me expectantly, and I just stare at him. "This is when you tell me..."

I don't tell him.

"...what the vision was about..."

"Do I have to?" I sigh, and he gives me a look. He nods.

"Yes, you have to."

Actually, Achilles says matter-of-factly, no, you do not.

"Achilles says I don't," I point out, purposefully trying to be difficult now. I'm really just doing it for the sake of amusing myself at this point. Apollo groans and facepalms.

"Okay, fine, what do you want? I'll give you whatever you want if you just tell me!" he tries to bargain, obviously desperate. That piques my interest. I raise my eyebrows.

"Anything?" I ask curiously, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees. He nods eagerly.

"Anything! Yes!" He claps excitedly. "Just tell me!"

"Uh-uh," I tut, smirking. Who would have thought I'd be hustling a god today? "Gift first."

"Fine. But you have to swear on the Styx that you'll tell me!" he demands. I nod solemnly.

Hey, I won't swear that it was an interesting vision. Because it really wasn't. Or particularly helpful, really. But I'll tell him.

"Alright," I nod. "For my part, though, I want," I pause, thinking. What does one ask a god for, when you can ask for literally anything at all? A hundred dollars? No, no, that's stupid. That's not nearly enough money. My eyes widen with delight as I snap my fingers, the perfect idea coming to mind. "A credit card that can't be hacked or stolen, with an infinite amount of money on it! Never-ending money that I can use anywhere in the world, for the rest of my life."

Ooh, good one! Achilles praises me. I smirk, very proud of myself.

His jaw drops. Apollo stares at me a moment. "You're a smart little thing, aren't you?"